12.04 LTS: 64-bit desktop by default?

[Kees Cook]

On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 08:13:15PM -0700, Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:31:47AM +0200, Rolf Kutz wrote:
> > On 17/04/12 16:17 -0700, Steve Langasek wrote:
> > >Additionally, as mentioned in this thread, the message presented to users
> > >when they try to boot a 64-bit image on a 32-bit machine is jargon-y
> > >("kernel"; "x86_64").  A bug has been filed about this and should be fixed
> > >soon, but I don't think it makes sense for us to commit to 64-bit by default
> > >in the current state.
> 
> > Maybe there could be a message on 32Bit Ubuntu
> > ınforming the user about the 64 Bit option, if it
> > finds a suitable system with enough RAM.
> 
> That sounds like an interesting idea.  We already have some tools along
> these lines, to warn about things like failing to use the CPU's NX flag (on
> servers) or notifying users of battery recalls (on laptops).  Maybe this is
> something that could be integrated into the live environment for 12.10?

The NX flag warning was removed in favor of fixing it directly in the
kernel[1]. However, that code (cpu-checker) could easily be used again
for checking "lm" and RAM levels. It even already has the update-notifier
bits plumbed[2].

-Kees

[1] http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commitdiff;h=ae84739c27b6b3725993202fe02ff35ab86468e1
[2] http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~cpu-checker-dev/cpu-checker/trunk/files/head:/update-notifier/

-- 
Kees Cook